Review: Clear 4G+ Mobile USB (Series S)

Sub Title: Ditching Your ISP and Switching to Clear 4G

Clear 4G+ Mobile USB (Series S)

Wired

Portable 4G has a cool factor that only the first cellphone users can appreciate. And there’s no better pick-up line than “Wanna tap into my 4G?”

Tired

Three things. Coverage: We know this is complicated. But until you can blanket at least the most densely populated areas, takers may be as spotty as a bad coverage map. Plans: Too many choices are a turnoff. Think Apple, not Dell. Prices: The sweet spot is . Just sayin’.

The concept is pretty clear: If you had high-speed internet in your pocket, chances are you would dump your home service provider, rethink your wireless plan and even hang out at Starbucks less often.

That kind of massively disruptive scenario defined the trajectory for the telephone. Landlines are on a death spiral, because phone calls went into your pocket. And then maybe, just maybe, you realized that your mobile phone worked just as well in your living room as it did in your travels.

The ‘Bring Your Own Internet’ business isn’t new. USB sticks and brick-like portable hotspots have been available for a long time. And, with an Android or WebOS handset (or a jailbroken iPhone) you already have yourself a personal hotspot you can share with other devices.

The trouble is that you probably don’t have an unlimited mobile-data plan (grandfathered iPhone owners notwithstanding). And you almost certainly don’t have 4G — the very new broadband standard which as a practical matter is every bit as good as the Wi-Fi to which you are accustomed.

So imagine how empowering it would be to have limitless 4G in your pocket. You could tell your cable or satellite company that all you need is TV, thank you very much. You wouldn’t have to depend on the kindness of Wi-Fi strangers on the road. You wouldn’t have to buy a separate data plan for your portable device. Heck — you may not even need a smartphone at all.

Keep imagining. We aren’t there yet, but we are slouching in that direction. And leading a very credible charge is Clear, a venture between Sprint and Clearwire that is expanding into three major tech-heavy cities: New York this month, Los Angeles and San Francisco in December.

It will take a while for 4G to become ubiquitous enough for lots of people to break old habits. But if you are lucky enough to live, work and or play in a Clear 4G coverage area you might begin to start questioning your faith for all the right reasons.

Coverage is the rub, of course. There are strangely located “not-yet-serviced” pockets on the Clear map, though the service automatically toggles to more-widely available 3G. Deep within an office building, like here at 4 Times Square, signal erodes. If you are near a window, though, it’s very clear sailing. And for those of us who commute out of the city, well, don’t make me laugh.

But I had an opportunity to actually need BYOI this past weekend when I visited a relative on Manhattan’s Upper West Side who doesn’t even own a computer. An amazing thing happened: Rather than bemoan the mixed blessing that my 3G USB stick always is, the Clear USB dongle that I was prescient enough to bring along served me up a blisteringly satisfying experience.

Webpages loaded as fast as on my home (wireless) or office (corded) networks. So, this is how cocky I got: I decided to watch my Slingbox. But first, I decided to update my Slingbox firmware. The update was working, though I had to leave my computerless kin before it could complete. But I watched TV with Slingbox and Clear 4G later.

Besides coverage, price will determine BYOI’s future. Clear’s plans range from $25 to $110 a month. It’s a bit complicated: There are plans with speed (but not usage caps), plans that are only for “Apple mobile devices,” plans that are meant for heavy home users, plans that include phone (VoIP) service. On most plans you can go month-to-month, but you have to buy your 4G device. With a two-year commitment the cost of the device is included. There are a range of devices, with some tied to specific plans. We tested the Clear 4G+ Mobile USB (Series S).

Bottom line: This is already a credible all-purpose internet option for some (read, single people). Your decision will depend on whether you can tap into 4G where you do most of your internet-ing — just the way you picked your wireless provider (iPhone devotees excluded).